In a World Full of Choices
by butterfly collective
Summary: Alexis finds herself behaving in ways she doesn't understand and Julian has to deal with his own choices made years ago.
1. Chapter 1

It rushed into the church, the figure dressed in black and wearing a baseball cap. In front, the pews on both sides of the aisle had been filled with elegantly dressed men and women sitting there, several fanning their faces with their programs because it had been quite warm inside, what with the wedding of the month being held on a midsummer night.

She looked down the aisle where the couple stood at the end, the bride dressed in white, with cascading train that most likely had its own attendant and the veil ornamented by beads of diamonds. The groom dressed simply in a black tux, the jacket covering his muscular build.

A minister stood before the couple, thumbing through the Bible which lay on a podium in front of them. His brow intent on finding just the right passage to send the two of them into marital bliss.

Or barring that marital contentment.

The figure at the other hand put its hand on its hip, just watching the ceremony get rolling. The procession had likely been very lovely, the bridesmaids dressed in soft lavender carrying bouquets, the two little flower girls who stood there with their baskets looking aimlessly towards the audience. One of them wearing the most hideous of yellow gowns accentuated with green.

The organist quit playing the march and the minister with his stoll around him cleared his throat.

"All right everyone…we are gathered here today to celebrate the entrance of these two individuals into the holiness of matrimony."

The figure watched and sighed, there wasn't anything holy about this proposed merger disguised as matrimony. And one of the parties entering into it was about to make a terrible mistake.

One that was about one minute away from being rectified, as the figure looked at its watch.

Julian just stood there dressed in his penguin suit in front of a crowded church filled with people, some of which he knew, many he didn't as the minister prepared to begun the ceremony. He looked over at his bride who stood there waiting coolly, her icy blonde hair coiffed neatly above the nape of her neck and a diamond necklace bordered by sapphires around her neck. The dress had been tailored by Vera Wang based on a design which had been passed along by her mother from her own ceremony and she wore the engagement ring that Julian had given her when he had proposed after their whirlwind courtship of a month since they'd hooked up in one of the suites of the Metro Court for reasons he still didn't quite understand.

Well except for his business associate Ava of course who was not standing beside him at the altar and in fact, had decided not to even sit in the audience of his wedding. A big deal because it actually looked like he was getting married this time but she had rolled her eyes at big brother and told him she wouldn't be there handing him bottles of Scotch when he realized he made a terrible mistake.

It wasn't like she hadn't tried to give him some sage advice.

"I can't believe this Julian…you're marrying a woman you've known what…a few months? Though that's quite an improvement on the one night stand in the back seat of the car woman, this is Carly we're talking about here.

"Ava I would really like it if you would support me here."

She sighed, running her hand through her crisp bob of hair, that looked a lot like…Carly's when she'd gone loco over some Todd guy and cut off all her hair and when she looked back up at him, her icy blue eyes almost looked weary underneath all that fire.

"I…can't…this woman is not who you think she is," she said, "though that might not matter to you…maybe it's this aura of mystery…no Carly has none…she's one step up from trailer trash. Dressed up of course in designer threads but still…"

He sighed.

"I know her enough to know I want to marry her."

She just shook her head.

"Okay…fine…then marry her," she said, "but I'm not going to sit in some church and watch this train wreck…I'll be…away and hoping that somehow you'll come to your senses. Olivia was the one you were supposed to seduce you know the one that's actually bedding Sonny right now?"

Julian remembered that she had been angry but he realized she had also been concerned and why was that? Carly was a beautiful lady who had been suspicious of him from the start and he'd been suspicious of her so they'd fallen into bed with each other to figure out who was who on the canvas of PC's mobster scene. It's not the first time he'd used sex as a diversionary tactic. Okay there weren't any major sparks between them but they were certainly compatible. Marrying Carly fit in with some sort of master plan didn't it? He just wasn't sure who was writing the master plan.

And then with one look Ava had walked out on him and hadn't been seen since.

That had bothered him a lot that his sister couldn't stand by him on the most important day of his life. Carly had been trying to get Julian to finance her hotel and the art gallery she'd just bought and Julian had agreed to look at it after they returned from their honeymoon.

Now he stood here at the altar scarcely believing it, trying to restrain himself from pulling on his tie and from thinking about another woman who had walked away from him.

The figure crept up the side aisle without being seen because everyone's attention remained focused on the ceremony which had just gotten started. Suddenly, it reached into its bag that it had slung over the shoulder after it walked fairly close to the front. It looked around while palming a round device that had been activated with a simple flick of a small switch.

Then the time began to count down.

"Mr. Jerome…do you take this woman here to be your lawfully…"

The round object went flying in the air after the figure tossed it and hit the cobbled floor with a clatter. Eyes focused on it, puzzled at first as it hissed on the ground and then…BOOOM, a cloud of thick smoke shrouded the front part of the church and another object of similar size landed nearby and did the same, sending more smoke and the guests began to wonder if it wasn't a good time to vacate the church.

Julian stared out in the smoke after shielding his bride who looked awfully piqued at what had happened.

"Julian…what is this?"

He seriously didn't know so he couldn't really answer. Could this be some kind of organized hit involving Sonny's family, the Rivera branch for example who had shown up with all their Rolls Royce and were clearly packing when they had attended the wedding rehearsal last night. It could also be the Vegas group who had been trying to resist an overthrow by the Miami group of their gambling operations before being bailed out by him. They had it in with Sonny and maybe his Mafia molls by extension. He hadn't really been knowing what he had chosen to marry into because he had been so caught up in the haze of proposing to Carly because it just made so much sense that they get married. Or it had but now…it puzzled him. No matter, he just had to go through with it…because for some reason.

But a figure came toward him just when he had stood up again, wondering why he hadn't worn his own gun. Yeah it was his wedding day but you would think he would have learned over what had happened when he attended the wedding of another family dom where a shootout had broken out once the wedding party left the church. The figure looked into his eyes, its hair hidden by the baseball cap and something familiar…never mind what did this person want with him?

"Come with me…"

"But you just threw a bunch of stun grenades…"

It shrugged.

"They won't hurt anyone, they're just noisy and the smoke's pretty noxious."

The minister had begun calling for calm in the chaotic environment but no one really listened and people started panicking pushing out of the pews into the narrow aisles. Julian guessed the wedding was off for now. Dante, PC's only cop had been sitting out in the audience and had remained unperturbed by the uproar, but Julian caught a trace of what looked like relief on his face beneath his no nonsense demeanor. What was it with those who were close to him that they all seemed to be against this marriage? But he was a grown man and he could make his own decisions.

"Why should I go with you?"

The figure pulled out another stun grenade.

"Because I have one left and I have half the mind to stuff it down your pants."

He looked perplexed.

"What the…"

The figure gestured, its svelte build looked wait a minute here…female? No doubt about it, and Julian thought a profile view would clinch it.

"Julian…"

That would be his bride who still lay on the ground wondering why her wedding day had gone up in smoke. Julian didn't know that either but maybe there was one way to find out.

He put up his hands.

"Okay, okay…I'll go with you," he said, "Just don't hurt anyone."

The figure tilted her head.

"No one's hurt here…and now one person won't be."

Hmm, that sounded a bit enigmatic to Julian but he finally followed the figure as they weaved their way through the throngs which still packed the twin aisles. They headed through the alcove in the back and then out the double doors, into the warmness of night.

"Get in the car," the figure said as they reached a convertible.

He turned to face her.

"No…and who the hell are you anyway?"

The figure just shook her head and looked at him seriously.

"Those men in the audience are not who you think," she said, "They're after your company…"

"What…"

"No time to explain now," she said, "Just get into the car and I'll tell you later."

Julian grabbed her arm.

"You'll tell me now."

The figure wrenched her arm away.

"Don't…I'm saving your ass here and it will become clear enough to you soon. Marrying Carly I should have let them shoot it off of you."

Julian just stood there suddenly speechless.

"But my fiancée…"

"Has a role to play in the script too…now get in the car."

He finally did, sitting shotgun while the figure got on the driver's side and started up the engine which screamed to life. She looked over and saw men coming out with guns drawn.

They sped away just as the men reached the car and Julian braced for the gunshots which thankfully didn't come. They raced down the city streets until they reached a bluff over a sandy beach where the glistening water caressed the edges of the shore. They just sat in the car looking out there and Julian didn't know what to think and he looked over at the figure which sat there with him, dressed in black jeans, a sweater and a jacket. Mahogany hair began to slip from beneath the cap betraying the figure's identity and recognition struck him.

"I know you…"

The figure removed her hat and the hair fell around her shoulders and her mouth curved into a smile.

"Of course you do…you've always known…"

Julian found himself looking at the mother of his daughter, Alexis Davis. Only she looked different to him. She didn't look at him like she was nervous to be around him, she looked like she wanted to kick is ass all the way to pier 52 before that final blow that would send him into the chilled, fetid harbor.

They hid out in a beach house that she had broken into with a credit card like Luke Spencer had taught her because he knew that the Rivera's not to mention Sonny's crew would come after them for what just happened. Maybe Ava had seen this coming and just decided to get her nails done instead of deal with another bloody mess.

"I had no idea…"

She rolled her eyes at him again.

"That's because you men don't always think with your brains Julian."

He frowned, tearing off that hated tie.

"That's not fair…"

She sighed as she looked out the windows.

"Okay, you met up with her at the hotel and then jumped in the sack with her because hey, she's Carly after all and no man can resist her brand of poison but marrying her…"

"That's not quite how it went," Julian said, "We spent some time at the Waterfront first."

Alexis looked at him.

"Yeah right…well I'm here just to save your mobster ass and after that…you're on your own."

"So you back together with Ned?"

"Ned who?"

He thought, he could be married now and leaving the church with Carly and people throwing rice at them. People who could pretend to be happy for them. Marriage had been in the cards for him at this point in his plan and it had to be Carly or Olivia, someone close to Sonny.

Not the woman in front of him that had told him that day her relationship with Sonny had been complicated but only a one night stand. He'd been relieved for two reasons and disappointed for one. But he had his game plan to follow to the letter, though his heart hadn't been in it. Not even during the rehearsal dinner when Sonny had shown up breaking the Faberge eggs on the shelves of the dining room in a jealous rant. Olivia and some woman named Brenda had trailed him apologizing profusely for his antics.

He woke up that morning wishing he could stay in bed and not get married but he forced himself up anyway. Got into his tuxedo…met with his best men Michael and Morgan who'd gotten in a fist fight after getting out of their respective limos. It all looked like it'd proceed as they prepared to say their vows.

Only he hadn't been able to get there, not if this woman had to burst into some church like some Ninja something lobbing smoke bombs to get him out of there.

Julian just stared at her, sitting there on the edge of the king sized bed with the 500 thread sheets underneath, dressed in a form fitting outfit meant to conceal her in the shadows and wearing an irritated expression on her face.

"Julian…that family of your friend, the Riveras you sent after Sonny…when I went to set things straight with one of your future brother in laws, he threatened not so nicely to put a bomb in my car."

"A what?"

"You heard me…a bomb in my car…is that what you really want, to marry a woman who might rock your boots off and then have a bunch of mobsters making threats? I might not be the love of your life like Sonny's leftovers in that church but I'm the mother of your daughter who's spent some time on the wrong side of the interrogation table at PCPD myself."

Julian's heart plunged at that revelation, that anyone would threaten to harm the woman…well the woman who was very important to him in all ways but one…and that had been through a mutually agreed upon decision.

"Alexis, Carly, she didn't really rock my boots," he said, "This is business that even I don't quite understand. Carly…I…no sparks there not like you and me but this was my marching orders."

Now Alexis looked at him dumbfounded.

"Then why did you want to marry her then? You don't have sparks with her though those are highly overrated. Did you marry her just to hurt Sonny? Or did you marry her when the other woman you wanted to use Sonny, Olivia turned you down?"

Julian struggled in his mind to find the answers but now they proved to be somewhat more elusive than they had been even yesterday.

"I don't…"

"Of course you don't…because you didn't think it through first," she said, shaking her head, "and because guys like you always go for women like…well maybe Olivia had one of her visions warning her all about you that only she can understand."

He held up his hand.

"Wait a minute here, why are you telling me what I like…and assume there's a type of woman?"

She shrugged.

"Because I've watched you and you guys always go for the women who are young, vapid but women that every guy including bad guys gravitate to when coming to PC. I guess they should bottle what Carly has and sell it. Olivia? I never took you to be interested in hysterical co-dependent women so that one's lost on me."

Julian really hadn't noticed amid the explosions and mayhem earlier but he did now that Alexis looked especially lovely in form fitting black. The woman had a figure that had muscle but also curved in some really nice places. Wait a minute, what was going on here, he had just been standing at the altar with someone who Alexis had just described as a mafia moll and he…well he wasn't thinking of her right now.

"You really need to…where are you right now…"

Because he had appeared to be in a daze, oh well maybe some of the smoke from those grenades had gotten to him. The instructions had said they were harmless but maybe…

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Soft music began to play in the background from where, he had no idea and the room had become bathed in luminance.

"Julian…"

He walked over to her and pulled her off from where she sat on the bed, into his arms, wrapping them around her waist.

"What…is this…"

His eyes bore directly into her own.

"What does it look like," he said, before his lips swept over hers and he ran his hands through that luscious mane of hair he had wanted to touch…well for the past six months at least…strange how something had changed, the room, the lighting and his focus. His hands left her hair and ran down her body where the fabric hugged her frame. She sighed and then she let him explore her mouth with her own…just a second ago she had been fed up with him and now…well obviously not.

"It's you I want…."

She blinked as he swept her off of her feet and carried her.

"Julian, this makes no sense…is this real or is this a dream? Because I really ought to just rip your face off."

Julian didn't care at that point as he moved them closer to the bed…but yeah it did seem a bit funny that he had been standing at the altar with someone else and now…

"We'll make it real…"

Okay, she thought, that works for me as she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again.

Then the squeal of tires outside the beach house interrupted them and he hastily put her down when they heard voices and footsteps loudly just outside.

"Julian…they found us."

His heart beat quickly as he looked around for a place to hide but suddenly, gunshots rang out and the glass from windows splintered and exploded towards them, showering them with a fine mist of ground sand.

"We can't just stand here…"

So they collapsed behind the bed, while bullets flew around them.

"Maybe they'll go away," he said, but wondered if that were true.

"Julian…"

Her breath had become jagged and he gazed down and his eyes widened as he saw a stain widening on her shirt, one shade darker than its material. Julian put his hand on it and it felt damp, his fingers laced with blood when he removed them.

His heart froze as he realized what had been happen…the bullets kept coming like crescendos in his ears…the blood streamed down his fingers onto the carpet. Her face became ashen, draining of its life and her eyes fluttered.

"Nooooo…."

But no one could hear him over the whistling of bullets and the pounding of the walls getting struck and penetrated by multiple rounds. Suddenly, as he embraced the woman in his arms, the colors began to blur and fade and whirl around him, again and again and again.

And then the darkness of the room around him.

Julian found himself drenched in sweat in the bed of the penthouse he'd lived in with his sister because he was apparently too broke to buy his own bachelor pad yet. What plan to put in action for the tomorrows that had just become today.

He gazed over at the wedding announcement, the ceremony that was going to take place today between the woman who meant everything to him and the man that had swept her off of her feet a month…again earlier…the man who Julian knew was not what he appeared to be. Alexis had somehow hooked back up with the men she'd fled from in some form of hysteria two decades earlier. He knew that years later, Alexis was still running away from a man, only this time she was running towards the altar not away from it.

Julian considered the first escape attempt to be more rational than this latest one. He knew that Ned Ashton never would give Alexis what she wanted or needed.

If he had only responded when she had told him she loved him…if he only hadn't lied to her over and over again. If only he'd said from the beginning he was only back in the mob to keep her and the rest of his family from being rubbed out by his boss. If only….there were a long list of those and they haunted him now as always. He had to find a way to change his destiny if he couldn't rewrite his backstory.

As that thought hit him, he got out of bed to get ready to get going, to get to the church in time. Looking at his watch, he could see time was not on his side but he had the most important act of his life to take.

He had a wedding to stop.


	2. Chapter 2

Julian jumped into his Porsche, the dream still lingering inside of his head. Imagine him, dreaming that Alexis had decked herself in some dark but figure hugging clothes to spring him from his own wedding. She'd look so damn sexy dressed in black and he'd fully believed inside his dream that she'd been there to rescue him from of all things his nuptials to Brooke. There were some fragments of his dream that he didn't remember mercifully enough but what remained when his eyes had opened was the taste of her mouth on his and the way her body molded so perfectly with his own.

He'd sat up in bed wrapped in his silken sheet wanting to understand the meaning of it until he remembered the reality. He wasn't the one getting married she was and he still couldn't understand what had driven her decision. As he'd returned back to town on business and read about it in his own paper.

What a difference two weeks could make.

Funny how a person could dream something that was a complete reversal of reality and have it make total sense until he opened his eyes. But him getting married in some church wasn't on the schedule in the real world. It was the mother of his first born, his daughter Sam who was set to get married on such short notice. He'd have thought Alexis would be sure to stretch the engagement out this time around to give her plenty of time to rethink her decision. After all she had been a no show at her first round at marrying the groom, the proverbial runaway bride, who fled the scene hitching a ride in a semi.

The front page photo he saw in the archives of his newspaper had shown an above the fold shot of her fleeing down a flight of steps, at full speed. The entire episode as reported by witnesses filled several pages. Naturally the stood up groom had little to say about it and the bride hadn't returned comment by press time.

The police department issued a statement that read it didn't send a search party out for adults unless they'd been missing at least 24 hours. Alexis had surfaced well before that at the household of her ex-husband Jasper Jacks.

Years later, the mother of his daughter was set to get married to Ned Ashton the so-called consultant to the titled CEO of ELQ which was Michael Quartemaine formerly known as Michael Corinthos. Though Julian and doubtless others believed Ned really pulled the strings behind the multimillion dollar corporation despite his public protestations otherwise. After all Michael wasn't smart enough to handle all the intricate dynamics of a corporation with such divested interests among its stock holders.

Michael and Ned for that matter weren't the only one who had a stake in ELQ. Jerry Jacks had secured stock in exchange for returning one of Tracy's ex-husbands to her, some drunkard disgraced conman named Lord Ashton. Julian knew more about the faux royal than his own son did and he wasn't as innocent as he appeared to be stumbling around sauced most of the time exchanging wit with anyone in his path.

Neither father nor son couldn't hit a target from 10 feet out, standing still. Ashton was more than the failed con artist and Ned had his own flirtations with the mob including the late and notorious aspiring king pin Faith Roscoe.

Back page photo of them going at it on the docks partially blurred in places had helped that issue set a circulation record that stood for nearly two years. PC Press readers liked their news on the salacious side.

His newspaper would be covering the Ashton/Davis nuptials and had no idea what he had planned. He didn't even know what his strategy would be when he got to the church but he had an hour to think about it.

His two weeks away from town had been productive and though Alexis had still been pissed off at him when he left town he'd hoped to track her down and debrief her when he got back. But she'd obviously been otherwise occupied. Marrying into a family that had been lured into a trap by old enemies including some that were still in the shadows.

The problem was, how would he now explain this to Alexis? After all, she was now preparing to walk down the aisle at a plush estate overlooking the Atlantic Ocean up near a town called Crystal Cove. The Quartermaines had property there that had hosted a few weddings and more funerals. Julian hoped that wasn't a bad omen.

He looked at his watch, which showed that he had just a couple hours to make it before she exchanged vows with Ned. If traffic cooperated, he might jet there in half the normal time so he kicked his sports car into gear and turned onto the coastal highway.

Sure enough the traffic was light in the direction he headed and he merged into the fast lane.

* * *

><p>Alexis looked in the mirror dressed in her slip, which accented her tanned shoulders. She had woken up that morning alone in the suite because Ned had told her the previous night he had some business to attend to, but would be finished in plenty of time to get ready for their wedding. She fingered her engagement ring which was a diamond set amid sapphires, very elegant. It hadn't been on her finger long at all, about two weeks when he had proposed to her while they picnicked on the grounds of the Q estate near the boathouse. She hadn't told Ned that the building gave her bad memories because the last time she'd been there, it'd been to haul a bruised and battered serial killer named Franco away from two of her exes, Sonny and Shawn.<p>

Julian hadn't been in town when she'd accepted Ned's proposal. He had left town for unknown reasons. It's not like she kept tabs on the man since they broke up and he remained in the mob keeping the identity of his boss secret from him. Alexis had stopped asking difficult questions he clearly avoided by lying to her face. She'd kept herself busy in her new law practice finally free of that glassware breaking tantrum throwing mobster and she'd been furnishing her rebuilt house on the lake. Molly had legally emancipated herself from her mom and was bumming around Europe with Carson. Alexis missed her but knew that the two of them needed time apart from one another.

Life had other complications to share with her which she didn't want to dwell in right now since a lifetime of fixing things that were broken hadn't rewarded her with the skills to handle her reality now.

No, she couldn't think about it. She wanted to concentrate on her wedding day. She had spent the night at the estate in the west wing and Ned in the east wing, their so-called traditional night apart on wedding's eve.

Someone knocked on the door and Alexis knew it was Brooklyn, who'd be part of her wedding party given how close Ned was with his daughter. She knew Brook didn't approve of her marrying Ned thinking she'd never be able to keep him happy…unlike her mother Lois. Alexis didn't take her future stepdaughter's bait which irked Brooke to no end. Oh well, the fragile mental case of a daughter would just have to deal.

She tried to focus on the wedding ahead though her mind wandered to places she didn't want it to travel.

Then she remembered she wasn't supposed to think about him anymore…certainly not on her wedding day.

"Are you getting ready," Brooke asked.

Alexis still stood before the mirror.

"Not quite yet," she said, "I've got the dress out and ready but there's still time."

The other woman dressed in her bridesmaid outfit, a peace gown with puffy sleeves didn't hide her pout.

"If I didn't know better, I would think you're dragging your feet here on marrying my father."

Alexis frowned.

"I assure you I'm ready and willing to marry Ned."

Brooke waved her hand.

"You say…but you know what I mean ."

Yes, Alexis did, Brooke resented her involvement in her father's life. She also resented her for ditching Ned at the altar. A bit of a contradiction but that didn't seem to disturb Brooke in the least. Alexis couldn't win in this situation and had no interest in trying. After all, Brooke was a grown woman who had made questionable choices in her own life.

One of which had been to attend the nuptials of Carly and Franco with her friend Michael who would be best man. That wedding was next week's marquee event in PC at the Haunted Star, a jinxed venue if one ever existed but one that this insanely matched engaged couple seemed excited about along with everything else.

Alexis planned to avoid that wedding like the plague though Ned might pop in to support Michael. She imagined she and her ex Julian were likely the only two not invited to the wedding of the year.

"So you don't have an escape vehicle parked outside the gates?"

Alexis shook her head, annoyed with her. Brook had been behaving like a spoiled brat all morning and she didn't feel like indulging her. The girl had an easy life, growing up with a loving if flighty mother prone to histrionics and a father who supported her dreams. She had no concept of what an evil stepmother really entailed, no one had slit her mother's throat when she'd been a small child.

"I'm not going to bolt Brooke, I'm sorry you feel that way but no, I'm not bailing out on the wedding…you're just going to have to accept that."

Her scowl told Alexis that wouldn't come easily or freely but she knew that despite her animosity towards her, she did love her father and would try to please him.

"And if I ever find you have a lover on the side, I will make your life hell."

Alexis gave her a strange look. Now that was a bit extreme, she thought, she would never cheat on her husband…not even with…her mind lingered on another man, with dark hair and strong features right down to his muscular frame. Throw a chambray shirt or the black polo shirt and some rugged jeans …and it would start getting warm in here. But when she had walked away from him after the shit hit the fan so to speak, that had been it. She sighed, knowing she'd done what she'd had to do. She'd walked away from the man she'd fallen deeply in love with her who became the latest in a life of men who'd disappointed and devastated her.

And then this golden opportunity arose when Ned returned in her life as if he'd been waiting in the wings. She had gravitated towards him and he'd been cool with her using him to move on from her latest…no her original bad boy. She had been baffled by her own actions because she'd never done this before, never fled to another man to get over her current one. She knew if she tried to analyze this uncharacteristic behavior in her, she'd get a headache. Their romance if not based on love at least had brought some semblance of stability into her life since their lifestyles meshed so well. She had tried to contact Julian and tell him of her plans but he was unreachable, probably off being a mobster somewhere else. She knew she'd at least found peace with a man who wouldn't get her house blown up and herself and her family nearly incinerated.

Well, Julian would know that she had gotten married soon enough when he returned. But for her, marriage would change a lot because she would be rebuilding her life.

She looked over at her dress lying on her bed, creamy white with nice cuffs on the sleeves and a lengthy train. Not exactly her style but Olivia had recommended that he use the designer who had worked on dresses for the brides in hers and Sonny's family.

Then she sat on the bed to think of someone, not her future husband but the man she'd left instead despite her promises to herself to leave that part of her life behind.

* * *

><p>Julian stopped while the elderly man herded his ostriches across the road to the other side. He had heard of the giant birds being raised on farms and harvested for their meat but the sight in front of him made him shake his head. Nothing, not anything, would replace cattle in his mind as a form of succulent meat.<p>

He looked at his watch and figured he had dressed up in the right attire to be unnoticed in the crowd. The "smaller" ceremony advertised on the invite still would involve over 100 guests.

The road finally cleared and Julian wondered if he had lost valuable time to get to the church. But he figured, weddings never started exactly on time did they? In the mafia they started late usually due to last minute changes to tighten security details.

He thought back to the desperate actions of Alexis in the dream where she had used of all things, smoke bombs to end his own ill-advised wedding but what would he do to stop hers?

He had packed heat and had used it but he didn't have any other weapons in case those who might oppose his actions might take a shot at him in order to keep the wedding on track.

No matter, he had to stop it because Alexis just couldn't marry the prepster, who could never give her what he could. He knew that if he could just find Alexis and talk to her, talk her out of this crazy wedding then she would be fine and they could return back if not to PC which was under a lot of heat now, someplace else. Still he knew that she might not go for any attempts he made to tell her what to do, like not get married to the man she rekindled things with. He ran through all kinds of plans and scenarios in his head minus a few that involved hiring mercenaries to help him in case he could think of one that might work.

After all, he knew it had been his fault, because he hadn't been honest with her for too long and then it'd been too late. He'd wrestled with what to tell her and Sam, lost sleep over it but still didn't own up to his family when it counted.

Changes had occurred during his brief advance in the landscape of PC including assigning special marshals to ensure no more violence affected innocent residents and certainly not the tourists. Mayor Felicia Scorpio met with Anna, and DA Scotty Baldwin to work together to restore order in the town. So things had quieted down for the past few months and a couple of mobsters who wouldn't be named decided it was past time for vacations. But what the people who'd taken these drastic steps hadn't realized was that the few mafia left in upstate New York were the least of their problems.

Lord Ashton for starters, and his old gang.

* * *

><p>Alexis had ran off and gotten herself engaged to someone she had barely been seeing again for a month. He had returned to the new reality and then had checked his phone messages and emails for the first time in a while and had found a lot of them asking him how he felt about the big news about the engagement…including from Ava.<p>

What engagement, he had asked himself until his eyes widened when he saw it was indeed true especially after seeing the headline in his own newspaper.

He flashed back to seeing Lord Ashton in photos with a capo or two from his pre-PC days on some deep sea fishing trip which probably involved pulling fish out and throwing some bigger ones with cement flippers into the water. Alexis really had no idea who she was marrying today, the son of one of the most notorious criminals who'd set foot in PC and he was just the beginning.

Julian looked at his watch as the time continued to elapse without mercy and pressed the accelerator making the car roar. He had to make it to the church on time and time was running out.

Alexis wandered back into the suite to find her shoes, the pair she would be wearing for the wedding and that's when she saw the folder on the floor, half hidden beneath the bed.

She pulled it out curious, and opened it before wondering whether she should or not, before she could chastise herself for snooping on her soon to be husband. After all she wasn't Carly who had been overheard gossiping to Olivia that she'd been a little suspicious of Franco.

And that's when she saw the photos.


	3. Chapter 3

Alexis's eyes widened when she saw the photos which showed close-ups of two men that she knew had been killed in what were believed to have been accidents…well at least the first one which had been a car that had somehow gone off of a mountain road and wound up two hundred feet down into a ravine. The man that it had taken a day to retrieve back up to the surface had been an accountant who had blown the whistle on money laundering in a company that belonged to Lord Ashton's business partner in Boston.

The other had been killed in some sort of accidental discharge involving his hunting rifle while tracking a 14 point buck in Colorado. He had been a business partner of another man who had some sort of business connection with a woman named Jenny Eckert. She'd been the sister of a Bill Eckert and had been Ned's first wife. No wait, Jenny had been his second wife after he'd married Monica's daughter Dawn though given that this marriage had been annulled technically it didn't count.

These incidents has taken place in the past couple of months. Neither were seen by either investigating law enforcement agency as being connected in any way. They'd been briefly looked into out of procedural obligation and then were quietly closed with brief reports filed away in boxes.

Back then, they hadn't seen like intentional deaths by any means, she had thought when reading about them in the newspapers over breakfasts at Kelly's mostly in passing. She'd mentioned them several weeks ago with Ned casually. He had said they were both tragedies but that accidents often couldn't be anticipated for prevented and then he had moved on to the next subject which had been the house they planned to live in after their wedding or their honeymoon plans. He clearly considered the subject closed.

Now looking at the photos with circles around them, she couldn't ignore the obvious. That photos of men who had died had been kept by him and the circles…they looked like the two men had been some kind of target. But had Ned drawn those circles, what were the photos doing in his possession? Surely there had to be an explanation, yes an innocent one. Alexis just couldn't think on her wedding day what it might be.

An icy chill raced through her right now, the pictures still clutched by her trembling fingers. Damn she'd been such a fool once again suckered by the male species. Yet somehow she knew Ned couldn't be involved. He wasn't a killer. She'd been the one with a taste for homicide in their relationship.

She'd been the one with the body count. He'd been the one who had struggled to understand the rationale behind both murders.

After all, both of them had stood over the hospital bed of Luis Alcazar and threatened his life, but she'd been the one who had ultimately taken it.

She ran her hand through her hair as she stood there in her slip, the pictures in her hand before she replaced them where she'd found them. What the hell was she going to do now on her wedding day, try to talk to him and ask what all this meant? How would he take it, after all he couldn't accuse her of being nosy if they were practically laying around.

Then again, if he had something to do about it…no he couldn't... Not Ned. But her sensible side chided her for even sliding towards denial of the obvious.

Alexis sat on the bed and put her head in her hands, trying to think about what to do, trying not to think that she might have become engaged to another man who wasn't what he appeared.

At the very least he seemed to be hiding a deep secret.

* * *

><p>Julian drove his car up the winding mountain road up to the estate at the top of it, where the view must be absolutely amazing down onto the fabric of forests intermixed with meadows and a river that wove through them both like a ribbon. He had seen photos of the house and the surrounding grounds in quite a few architecture magazines. As he approached the top, he noticed that a huge tent had been set up out in a grassy area and that men and women dressed in uniforms were bustling around setting up for what had been billed as the wedding of the month.<p>

Huge gates loomed ahead and he knew he had to come up with a plan to get inside. He had never been on the property but he had seen it while conducting surveillance after Sam and Spinelli had given him the aerial photos, so he knew what the spread looked like. He didn't know whether Ned knew he was back in the area. They didn't exactly move in the same business or social circles lately but he couldn't take any chances so he had brought along a disguise in case he'd alerted any of his security about Julian Jerome. He stopped the car up the road and changed inside it to pose as security; an assignment he felt would get him close enough to Alexis to talk some sense in to her.

He looked down at his black pants and shirt, he had packed a gun that would be similar to those carried by security here and he walked up to the gate where he ran into a young man with a checklist and a rather bored attitude. Julian figured he had been doing this for a while.

"Who are you," the man asked.

"I'm security," Julian said, "Mitchell Radcliffe… …Just let me get my ID."

He pulled out the best fake ID that money could buy and showed it to the man who examined it carefully.

"Your face, it's different. You don't look much like the photo…Coleman in the ID on file has a beard."

Julian nodded.

"I needed a change."

The man finally gave it back to him and waved him through.

"You meet with the rest of the team in the back," he said, "You'll receive your individual assignments there."

He walked inside and didn't go to join the other security men at least not right away. Casing the grounds including the mansion were his first priorities and he wanted to get started, to find the best alternative entrances and exits.

A man leading some Dobermans walked by and Julian noted the amount of security that was present for the wedding, not surprising considering the pressure that ELQ had been under lately with all these nefarious players trying to grab control of it. As a mobster, he himself could be the target for revenge as well as for prosecution by law enforcement agencies so he had used a considerable amount of his earnings to shield himself from both threats. In some ways his reality didn't differ from that of a corporate CEO.

Where was Alexis, he wondered and he figured she must be getting ready for the wedding somewhere in the main house. The walls that surrounded the estate were quite impressive and so where the cameras that were mounted on the house and other spots in the surrounding area. He wondered how Alexis had ever bought into the image of her fiancé as being someone who could protect her from the dangers out there but knew that a lot of different emotions could make someone less than suspicious when they should be.

He walked up to the side entrance of the house and looking around him, slipped into a narrow alcove next to it, while he tried the door. It appeared to be locked so he reached into his belt and pulled out a tool perfect for this kind of thing and fiddled with the lock. He managed to get it open and opening the door enough for him to slip inside before anyone noticed.

A winding staircase greeted him and two familiar women walked down it so he ducked against the wall.

"Really Olivia I think it's much ado about nothing," Felicia said, "The marriage won't last…his fiancée is Alexis after all…I'm surprised she's made it this far."

Olivia who looked perturbed to say the least shook her head.

"No…Ned's really caught up with her," she said, "To propose to her in the first place after barely a month."

"Sometimes a rekindled romance is like a whirlwind adventure."

Olivia looked skeptical.

"Well…if I have one of my visions…I'll tell you."

He was surprised that the two main women were discussing the engagement so casually but then there were pieces of the story he'd clearly missed.

But he wondered if Alexis would go through with it, then remembered the way she'd reacted to him the last time they saw each other. He thought it'd been something she'd quickly get over.

In reality, it had been much deeper than that and by the time he had realized that it had been too late.

Alexis still sat on the bed, her dress still waiting to be put on for the wedding. She glanced over at it and then wondered what she had gotten herself into by making the decision to get married so quickly to a man she realized she barely knew at all.

And within a few hours she would be walking down the aisle with bridesmaids including Brook and Olivia in front of guests who'd probably come for a good show. She'd been determined to go through with it despite her rep as the runaway bride of PC.

But now after seeing those photographs, she just knew she had some questions that had to be asked and only one man could answer them and that would be the man she was about to marry but where was he?

Oh yeah, conducting some last minute business…was he? Even on his wedding day, secrets had exposed themselves but why?

How had she fallen in so quickly with a man she'd already dumped and left at the altar two decades ago?

She got up and looked into the mirror, her hair cascading around her face and wasn't sure what to do next, what if Ned returned, what would she say to him? They had to set a few things straight before she walked down the aisle.

* * *

><p>Julian walked up the stair case stealthily expecting to run into someone who might question him and hoping his attire would discourage it. But he had his story ready in case anyone challenged him being there in the house. He reached the top of the stairs and started walking and looking into the bedrooms. Most of them were empty but when he reached the one at the end of the hallway, he peered inside and his eyes widened as he saw her standing in front of the mirror running a brush through her hair. That lovely mahogany mane she had that either curled or waved depending on which she liked. She wore a slip which hugged her figure and showed off her lightly muscled arms.<p>

He paused just watching her as she lifted her hair up above her neck where the necklace could be glimpsed before she released her hair again. He chose then to slip inside the room and she gasped as she looked up and saw his reflection behind her, putting her hand to her mouth for a brief second before she spun around and faced him. Not looking the least bit pleased at him. In fact the glint in her eyes know reminded him of her family heritage.

"Julian…what are you doing here…and how did you know about the wedding?"

He sighed, noticing she stood her ground and had folded her arms expectedly.

"I could ask you the same thing. Really Alexis I'm out of town two weeks and you get engaged."'

Damn his arrogance talking to her like that. She rolled her eyes at him, while taking in his rugged figure.

"I'm getting married in several hours," she said, "to Ned so you should just leave before he returns."

He paused again, wondering if he should share with her what he knew about her fiancé. Then decided he had to go for it.

"Alexis…I can't believe you're marrying that prepster. Didn't you leave him at the altar once?"

She furrowed her brow.

"Oh…care to elaborate? Tell me all the reasons I shouldn't marry Ned but your time is limited."

He moved closer to her, trying to keep his mind on what he had to say and off of how beautiful she appeared right then.

"I mean you're really one to talk to Derek…no wait it's Julian right? Julian Jerome."

He listened, knowing he deserved that not saying anything so she continued. His words to her hadn't been always truthful and sometimes he wondered if his reasons fully justified his actions. He didn't answer so she did that for him.

"What can I say…he swept me off my feet?"

He sat down on her bed making himself home there. The way he had done when he entered her house the first time to interrogate him about his missing enforcer. Her house that had been blown sky high, collateral damage from one of his choices.

"I don't believe that and neither do you."

She looked at him then more carefully, her eyes penetrating him and they would have intimidated most anyone else.

"Julian…which is what you're going by now," she said, "There's nothing you can say to me."

He didn't respond right away.

"You think he's not the right guy for me is that it because he's not like you?"

"Alexis …"

She shook her head.

"No Julian…You don't get to decide whether or not I'm marrying Ned," she said, "Certainly not just a couple of hours before I'm walking down the aisle with him at the end of it waiting."

"Where is Ned anyway?"

She didn't know exactly but she wasn't going to tell him that.

"He's…finishing up some business."

Julian imagined he had some idea what he was doing right now…because he had his own questions about Ned's father and his return to PC.

"Alexis you don't know him as well as you think."

She stepped towards him.

"Excuse me, I've known him a lot longer than I've known you. If there's something specific you know that I don't, I wish you'd just tell me."

"He's…"

Then they heard footsteps coming down the hall and they looked at each other. Alexis gestured towards her walk in closet.

"Go…quickly…and then when it's clear just get out of here…"

He slipped inside the closet reluctantly, keeping the door just ajar. In walked Carly with some fanfare. What the hell was Carly doing at her wedding? Who put her on the invite list?

"I'm here with my son Michael…to support him. It's not my idea at all. Believe me."

"Okay Carly whatever…what do you want," Alexis said, "I'm trying to get dressed here."

Carly didn't seem to care.

"I want to talk to you about your decision to marry Ned while there's still time."

Alexis sighed.

"What exactly is your stakes in all this because I can't see any reason why you should give a damn or even have a voice?"

"You're not right for him," Carly said, "For one thing, you're too much of a hypocrite."

"Oh really…and you decide this how? I mean pot, kettle, black and all that."

Carly shrugged.

"It's not personal really, you just don't come from the right background," she said, "I'm here to protect my son's interest as CEO of ELQ. As Ned's wife, you might be his legal heir to his shares if something happens to him."

Alexis just shook her head.

"Ned's shares go straight to Brooklyn if…anything does happen to him," she said, "I have no interest in ELQ."

Carly looked skeptical. Alexis arched her brows at her.

"I'm not going to prove myself to you," she said, "After all, I'm marrying Ned and that's none of your business."

Another woman walked in, which looked like Ava…it was Ava. Alexis hadn't remembered seeing her on the guest list but she showed up a lot of places uninvited and explosions usually followed.

Sometimes literally. Either way she was always stylishly dressed and very pregnant with either Sonny or Morgan's baby.

"Carly…there you are," she said, "I've been looking all over for you…we're having some wine out on the balcony…to prepare for this wedding. I'm having sparkling grape juice of course."

The other woman waved her hand. Alexis just blinked her eyes at both of them having a civil conversation rather than writhing on the floor yanking each other's hair out. Carly looked too calm.

"Oh I'll be there in a moment," she said, "I'm done here…wait Ava is it you?"

The other woman nodded.

"I'm here…with Morgan of course…"

Just like that the détente was cast aside between the two women.

Carly's eyes went blazing, her body tensed and she balled her hand in a fist.

"I told you to stay around from my son. I've seen _Midnight Cowboy_ and Mrs. Robinson you're not…"

Alexis just thought, it's _The Graduate_ but then reminded herself Carly hadn't ever been the brightest bulb in the box.

Ava glared at her icily and the two women looked like they might go at it but Ava flipped her hair back and looked bored again.

The two women walked out and Alexis just shook her head at them and looked towards the closet. Julian's head emerged and he walked out of it.

"You're not really going through with this wedding…"

She looked over at him putting her hands on her hips.

"And what are you going to do to stop me," she said, "Kidnap me?"

The thought had crossed his mind but he hoped it wouldn't come to that. He wanted her to make that choice once he presented some case to her.

But time was running out and he had a feeling that showing would be much better than telling at this point.

"No…"

She started to walk away.

"Okay fine then tell me why I shouldn't marry him," she said, sitting on the bed, "I'm waiting…"

He looked at her knowing he didn't have much time to come up with the right words as she sat there waiting.


	4. Chapter 4

Julian stared at Alexis sitting on the bed in her slip looking at him expectedly for his reasons for walking out of her upcoming wedding to Ned.

"I'm waiting Julian…better start talking and stop staring…"

Oh he could see the formidable attorney right now who took no prisoners, and she didn't look happy with him at all. He didn't blame her for that but that didn't mean she wouldn't listen to him.

But getting engaged to Ned, top businessman to some capos in that part of the country, that had been unfathomable to Julian when the news had finally reached him. He knew she was an adult and fully capable of making her own decisions and she could do that…after she heard some hard facts about her fiancé.

"Alexis …he's not who you think he is," he started.

She tilted her head and pushed her hair back.

"Neither were you…"

"Touché…but I'm serious. He's a man loyal to no one except maybe his own father."

She narrowed her eyes.

"What does that mean? I know he has a father but I don't know if he's loyal to him because they share blood ties."

He rubbed his jaw, thoughtfully. She didn't look at all receptive but she had to know before she made the biggest mistake in her life.

"I found out he's doing jobs for ELQ including his family his father not excluded."

She frowned.

"That makes no sense…Ned's always been his own man no matter what."

Julian chuckled. He couldn't help it.

"It wouldn't be the first time brother turned against another. Remember Cain and Abel?"

She shook her head.

"I don't believe you…it doesn't make any sense especially since Ned doesn't even have a brother…."

"Was that why you agreed to marry him?"

She didn't answer.

"Keep going…I'm listening for now but time's not on your side here

"Alexis …"

"No Julian, I'm getting married in less than a couple hours and you'll be gone by then unless you come up with better material to argue..."

Julian thought back and considered that probably Ned had really been dispatched back to PC to increase the profits of his company. And had started a romance again with the woman in front of him. Okay, but neither had reached the altar yet. If he had his way at least one of them wouldn't show up.

"He was a pretty good looking sexy guy," she recalled, "and the man can dance and tell a great joke."

Maybe so but could he could do other things and was willing to torture a man into confessing to protect the woman he loved, Julian thought and she clearly didn't know that he had been keeping that skill fresh in his repertoire.

She arched her brows.

"You were saying?"

" Alexis …I don't know how to tell you this but he's not the businessman who takes frequent trips out of town to go to conferences like he probably told you…he's a…."

Suddenly a louder pair of footsteps approached the room and back Julian went into the closet. He kept the door just open enough to hear a little and see less but he did see the tall man with a muscular frame walk into the bedroom and greet Alexis by kissing her on the mouth, after wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her closer.

"Hi Alexis," he said, "I bet you thought I'd never make it back but you'd be wrong."

She smiled up at him.

"Oh Ned, I knew you'd be here," she said, "Though I know how important your business is to you."

He caressed her hair out of her face.

"Not as important as you are and this day where we'll be joined together as man and wife."

Julian watched from the closet, and thought to himself, not if I have anything to say about it. The man fiddled with the straps on her slip as he kissed her much longer this time, drawing them down her arms.

"Ned we can't…we're getting married."

His lips traveled down her neck and damn in their past that meant something but she had to know some things first.

"All the more reason…but you're right, the guests will be arriving soon and you have to get dressed and get yourself beautiful."

She nodded as he pulled away from her.

"Ned, is there anything you need to tell me…before we get married," she said, "I mean Carly was just in here earlier again."

He sighed.

"You know she's been told by me to keep her distance until she can play nicely."

"I think she's just a worried about losing any man to a woman she doesn't like very well," Alexis reasoned, "We did get engaged pretty quickly and the wedding's even coming more quickly."

He tensed at those words, she could tell and he looked at her, his eyebrows lifting.

"Are you telling me you don't want to go through with the wedding?"

She shook her head and put her hands on his chest.

"Oh no…we just haven't talked about some of the things that couples normally discuss."

He kissed her to try to remove any remaining doubts and his lips spoke eloquently but then she remembered the man hiding in the closet…not to mention the pictures.

But right then a couple of other men came in the bedroom when they saw Ned there and told him they needed to discuss a few things with him before the nuptials. Ned looked at his bride one more time and then left with them. A moment after they left, Julian walked back into the bedroom.

She turned to look at him.

"That's Ned in case you didn't know," she said, "I would have told him you were here but it looks like you didn't come through the front entrance."

"I did…just as part of the security detail."

She eyed him and his outfit critically.

"You look like a jewel thief," she said, "You're not planning on breaking into any safes are you?"

He looked around the room.

"So is this his room?"

She folded her arms.

"Oh don't even go there with me, okay?"

"Alexis, the man is not telling you everything and you know it."

"You're a mafia capo who kills to gain territory and further your…business organization. You kept who you really were a secret…playing everyone including me and my daughter…"

"Our daughter…"

She shrugged.

"Semantics mostly and a night of unprotected sex in the backseat of your car."

He didn't respond to that because she was right, he had made his choices and family hadn't been at the top of the list. He knew he hadn't chosen wisely.

She sat on the bed and sighed. But he pushed forward.

"We need to talk about Ned…before you marry him. You know what I'm telling you is true or at least you have questions about him…"

"Maybe…"

"What does that mean?"

"I was wondering about that," she said, "I found some photos that he had hidden…I don't know why I even looked or what I was looking for…maybe I thought there was another woman."

"But they weren't?"

She shook her head.

Julian looked down at her, as she sat and contemplated what she had learned a mere few hours before her wedding.

"I don't know what to think Julian…he couldn't be a hired to do things I don't know about, wouldn't I just know that if he were doing something so evil?"

He didn't respond, not sure what to say to that.

"No scratch that, I ran around with another sociopathic killer a year ago didn't I? and then of course there's you…"

He sat down beside her on the bed, so their shoulders brushed. At least she didn't appear to be too angry with him to pull away, and he had been preparing for that on the winding drive up the mountain to the estate.

" Alexis …you fell in with the side of himself he showed you," Julian said, "In both cases…but Ned, I know he's up to something. He's connected through his daddy all over the seaboard and even in other places, a dozen in the past two months...the last in Denver."

Her mouth opened.

"You mean…Ned or his father works for some mobsters in Denver?"

Julian nodded.

"A cabal of them actually," he said, "tied to the uneasy coalition of the top five remaining families on the seaboard."

She put her hand over her face.

"Oh my god…and here I thought I was getting better at picking men."

Julian heard a trace of pain in her voice buried amidst the anger and indignation and realized she had really cared about the guy, maybe more than that at some time. But if she thought he was going to stand by and watch her marry a man like Ned, she had another thing coming. Because the man in Armani made most guys look like choir boys and at any rate, there were three grand jury inquisitions looking into Lord Ashton's business alone.. Ned and Alexis 's marriage would be reduced to jailhouse visits anyway. If Ned was tied into his father's business at all.

"What am I going to do …I'm getting married today to this decent man or so I thought…what's the protocol for skipping out on your own wedding? Oh wait…I'm the expert on that."

He knit his brows.

"Ned…sometimes I think if I'd only married him…but so how would I get out of here? Without making a scene."

"I think we could sneak out the back exit of this mansion as I'm sure there is one before anyone notices…my car's just down the road."

She folded her arms looking at him.

"Oh you came prepared didn't you?"

He reached over and moved a tendril of hair hanging in her face.

"I came here hoping you'd come back with me…"

Then she stood up and just stared at him and some spark had been set off inside of her.

"Oh…nice…so you thought I'd trade him in for another model…like you…Forget it."

Julian felt taken aback, what in the hell was she talking about here?

"Alexis …"

She rubbed her forehead.

"Okay Julian…we'll talk about this later…"

"Alexis we've got to get you out of here," Julian said, "but not dressed like that. I think you better change."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"Okay…I'll see what's in the closet here…it's as big as my living room back home so I ought to find something I can wear out of here."

She went into the closet and found some jeans that appeared to fit and a black sweater and some boots. She didn't know who the clothes belonged to and she didn't ask, she dressed quickly inside the closet.

After she finished dressing, she walked out and Julian glanced over at her and did a double take. What she could do to even a casual outfit, well there weren't enough words but first things first and that was getting out of the mansion and off the estate so they could get back to his car.

She looked indecisive.

"I really should talk to him…explain that I just need some time to think it over."

He shook his head.

"And what if he doesn't like your answer or decides not to let you go," Julian said, "You've got to get out of here."

"Okay…then let's go then before my bridesmaids start looking for me."

He looked out the bedroom door and when he saw it was clear, he walked out into the hallway and she followed him quite closely. They heard some people talking and headed in the opposite direction towards a back staircase. Julian went first and she followed down the rather dark flight of stairs and realized they reached the area behind the kitchen. Caterers went to and fro with plates of food and Alexis gazed a bit longingly at some of the platters as they went by.

"Damn, there goes a chance to sample some of the best fettuccini ever made."

Julian looked around and saw an exit just in front of them and grabbing her hand he headed towards it.

"Excuse me, where are you going," a voice rang out behind them.

Julian stiffened and then turned around while Alexis put on a smile when they bumped into Carly who frowned at them.

"What's he doing here," she said and then her eyes lit up, "Hah I knew you two had something going behind the scenes. How dare you bring him into this house…like some common…"

Julian glanced at her.

"Carly…"

"Shut up Carly," Alexis said, "Julian your ex-lover has dropped by and he's merely extending his best wishes."

Carly folded her arms, her eyes aiming daggers at Alexis

"Julian had a good thing with me but he wasn't smart. I guess he's onto collecting scraps now.

Alexis paused having no time for this right now. She looked over at Julian.

"Nice to see you Carly…Alexis we'd better be having that pre-wedding talk while there's time."

Carly looked at bot of them strangely then and Alexis wondered then if they had said too much.

"Well, you're practically a eunuch so I don't think you'll keep Ned happy for long," Carly said, "You try to insinuate yourself in the family again and they'll be trouble. Well Ned might be not yet be wise to you but I am."

Alexis shrugged.

"Look whatever Carly, would you excuse us so Julian can congratulate me in a less hostile environment?"

Carly refused to move.

"I will not…"

Alexis sighed and looked directly at her.

"If you don't, I will tell my fiancé that you spent way too much time with that man who is his main business rival…in the swimming pool the other night. You know the artist formerly known as…"

Now Carly's face flushed an alarming shade of pink and Alexis knew she had hit her mark.

"He won't believe you," Carly hissed.

"He won't have to," Alexis said, "It will be enough if he just thinks about it."

Carly sputtered some more but the wind had gone out of her sails and she tottered off. Julian turned to Alexis.

"Boy you sure can play some hardball."

She shrugged a bit.

"And you've just started to notice?"

They walked to the door and opened it to find themselves out on the courtyard, surrounded by the four wings of the mansion that had as its centerpiece, a nice fountain surrounded by rose bushes.

"The gates are this way," Alexis said, walking to where sure enough there were double iron rod gates that were ajar.

"This way…"

Julian followed her as they crept through the labyrinth of hedges which were quite high and which led all the way to the gate.

Well, almost all the way.

Ahead they saw another man, his arms around an attractive young woman with auburn hair up in a tidy bun.

"Oh no, that's one of my bridesmaids…I think."

Julian frowned.

"You don't know your own bridesmaids?"

Alexis ran her hand through her hair.

"I didn't pick them Julian," she said, "Do you really think I wanted that woman back there to be in the wedding?"

"I suppose not…why would ever let anyone do that for you…"

"Later …if you want to get out of here without being seen…we'd better move quickly and get past them."

They walked nonchalantly as much so as possible considering they were making a getaway of sorts.

But before they got there, the man looked up and his piercing gaze caught the two of them. The woman looked miffed and stood to the side, folding her arms.

"Take care of them Dante…"

Oh yeah, Dante who was one of the ushers at the wedding worked closely with Ned which meant…was the hell was PC's only real cop doing standing with a hired hit man at his wedding?

"Alexis what are you doing out here…and who's this man?"

She put on a smile and looked over at Julian, wondering how Dante had been fooled.

"He's security…I know it's kind of annoying to have a shadow following me around but Ned put his foot down on this one."

Dante frowned, checking Julian out but the woman, Lulu looked skeptical.

"Wait a minute Dante," she said, "He's way too fine looking for Ned to trust with his woman."

Alexis wanted to roll her eyes, _his woman_?

But Dante didn't look happy at all especially with his wife's backhanded compliment of the strange man in front of him.

"Lulu, what do you mean he's fine looking," he said, "You're attracted to this man here?"

She stammered, her eyes blinking seductively.

"Oh no darling…he could never come close to lighting my fire like you do…"

"That's better," Dante said, "as for Ned, with all the pressure he's under, she might need an armed guard to protect her."

Alexis felt curiosity get the better of her.

"What do you mean 'pressure' Dante," she said, "Is Ned not telling me everything that's going on?"

Dante looked sheepish.

"I said too much," he said, "Nothing for you to worry yourself about…so go back to getting ready for your wedding."

"I just have to say goodbye to him…I'll see you later Dante…"

Julian and Alexis started to leave when suddenly someone else called out.

"Wait a minute…"


	5. Chapter 5

Julian and Alexis turned around just as they had come close to exiting the hedge maze close to the front entrance of the estate. Oh god, she couldn't believe the man standing in front of her. He brought out some homicidal instincts she thought she'd buried after what he'd put her eldest daughter through during his reign of terror.

"Where are you going," the man asked, "Why's he here?"

Alexis smiled gritting her teeth.

"I needed to get some fresh air Franco," she said, "He's here to wish me well before the wedding."

Julian looked over at the man with the lean build who looked like he'd been hitting the wet bar before most of the guests arrived.

She turned to look over at Julian.

"That's Franco, as you know," she said, "He's here for the wedding. For the record I did _not_ invite him. I don't know who did."

Yeah, Julian thought he knew the man and he made sure his hand was nowhere near his gun. He had no use for the man who'd terrorized his daughter either.

"Franco…," Julian said, "We'll be back in about 10 minutes."

Franco folded his arms and then Julian could see the guy really was a bit plastered.

"Does Ned know you left the house?"

Alexis sighed.

"I don't need his permission to do anything," she said, "The room got stuffy and I wanted to go take a short walk…but you know how Ned would like me to be congratulated by well-wishers."

Franco nodded but still looked skeptical.

"Maybe I should find him."

Alexis shrugged not having any idea what business Franco had with her fiancé.

"Maybe you should do that," she said, "but he's busy now wrapping up business before our wedding and honeymoon and he won't want to be disturbed."

Franco thought about that and finally nodded back.

"Okay…but don't be gone too long or the wedding won't start on time."

He walked away and Julian and Alexis headed towards the gate. It looked like it had been left unattended for a while and Julian decided to take full advantage of that. They walked through and then headed up the road towards where he parked his Porsche.

"Halt…where you going?"

They looked behind them and saw a group of men dressed in tuxes walking behind them. Julian looked at Alexis.

"I think this is where we pick up the pace," he said.

She nodded and they both took off at a run, towards the bend where just beyond it would be their getaway vehicle. Hell, it wasn't the first time he had been in this position. Okay, maybe it hadn't been fleeing a wedding but other equally difficult situations and it all amounted to the same thing. But Alexis she was the pro at running away from the altar. It was like déjà vu.

"Hey come back here," the men said.

Julian looked over at them and realized he had a decision to make. He stopped, grabbed Alexis and then pulled her against him.

"What are you doing?"

Julian whispered.

"Play along…"

He pulled out his gun and pressed it against her side then he turned around to face the men.

"One step closer and I'll blow her head off," Julian yelled, pressing the gun harder against her side.

The men backed up a few steps.

"That's better," Julian said, stepping backward with Alexis towards the Porsche, "I'm taking off with her and when I'm ready to collect a ransom, I'll give your boss a call."

"You wouldn't dare," one of them said, "He'll smoke your ass or his father will."

Julian didn't look impressed.

"He'll have to find me first," he said, "and he tries to pull anything, the woman's dead."

The men stood there frozen as if they couldn't believe the sight in front of them. As if they couldn't believe that anyone would challenge the Ashtons, father and son.

"I'll keep in touch," Julian said, as he and Alexis headed towards the Porsche.

Once the men left, they headed towards the car quickly and got inside, before turning around to head back down the mountain past the estate's front gate.

"You might want to duck in case they start shooting," Julian said.

She looked over at him.

"What about you?"

"I got to keep driving…"

Julian revved up the car and they drove faster past the estate and weren't too surprised to see a car jet out of the gate following them down the mountain road. Then quickly after that, gun shots ringing out including one that dinged of the fender.

"Damn they're shooting at us," Alexis said, trying to drop out of range.

She looked over at Julian who slouched lower but focused on getting them down into highway in one piece. But the shots continued and one whizzed by Julian's head.

"I'm going to have to speed up," he said, "Hold on!"

The car sped up even faster, the frame straining under the demands from the acceleration but they pulled slowly away from the pursuing car. Julian made the most of the opportunity by catching the turn onto the coastline highway and then losing himself in traffic. He wove in and out of the lanes as drivers honked at him in indignation but the distance between them and the car behind them lengthened further. They pulled abruptly off into a side street and the car sped past unaware.

"That was close," Alexis said as Julian stopped the car before heading further down the side street to another which would lead them back to the highway some distance further.

"We'd better find some place to lie low," he said, "Those men will be back."

She just looked at him.

"What was that back there," she said, "Why did you do that?"

Julian sighed.

"So that he doesn't suspect that you were leaving freely," Julian said, "So he'll focus his anger on me."

She slapped his arm lightly.

"Why did you think I needed you to protect me? I've known Ned for years. This isn't the first time I've been engaged to him…or left him at the altar."

Julian looked directly at her.

"Because his daddy is a dangerous man Alexis and I don't want you to get hurt."

She shook her head at him.

"I'm the one who got myself in this situation," she said, "It's my responsibility…besides what gives you the right to say that, considering you're a capo quite a few steps and executions above an enforcer."

Julian drove until they reached a small diner and parked in the back.

"Where are we," she asked.

"I've got someone meeting us," he explained, "They might be able to help us but we've got some time to kill."

She studied the man next to her, the ruthless mobster, and the man who'd discovered he had a family, but today she had seen a different side of him. He knew his way behind the wheel of a car.

And then she noticed something else.

"Julian…you're bleeding…"

He looked over at his shirt sleeve which had been dampened by blood.

"It's just a graze…"

They pulled into the parking lot and she moved over when he stopped the car and rolled up his sleeve. The wound seeped blood but didn't look bad. It needed to be cleaned up.

"Do you have a first aid kit inside here?"

Julian nodded.

"In the glove compartment…came with the car."

She pulled it out and opened the kit, looking down at the contents. She perused them and then grabbed some gauze and some tape and some antiseptic. She poured some of the medicine on the gauze and gingerly tried to clean it up.

"Ouch Alexis …what do you got there battery acid?"

"Yeah, now will you sit still a minute," she said, patting the blood off of what looked like an abrasion.

"I will if you put that medicine away," he said, "It's just a scratch."

"I know, but I don't want it to get infected. My daughter and grandson might not forgive me."

She took some gauze and taped it to his arm over the wound and then gently rolled his sleeve down for him.

"That's much better isn't it?"

He smiled at her and touched her upper arm.

"Yeah…much better…now let's get inside okay?"

The two of them went inside the diner to plan their next move now that they had a pack of heavy hitters out there looking for them.

* * *

><p>Julian and Alexis ate the hamburger platters that the cook prepared for them, with wedge cut fries and milk shakes. Alexis found herself famished and the food quite tasty as did Julian and their hosts were gracious.<p>

"What are we going to do now," Alexis said, "We can't head back to PC. If Ned really believes you kidnapped me, he'll send his men there first…I can't believe I'm saying that. He'll be in seclusion like he was last time so the press can't find him."

"I know…I think we should head to Crystal Cove not far from here," he said, "A friend of mine has a place there and there's no way to connect him to us. We just have to make sure we don't get followed. Ned might not be dangerous but his father's tied to some dangerous allies"

She narrowed her eyes.

"Are you one of them Julian…or just your boss?"

He just fell silent then he took a deep breath and exhaled.

"It's complicated like I told you."

She threw up her hands again.

"Not that excuse…"

"It's not an excuse Alexis. Today should have proven that."

"But what you did, Ned's not going to let it go. He was humiliated last time I left him and if his father's calling the shots…"

"I don't want him to," Julian said, "But it's not going to get him anywhere if his father is in charge. Besides, the feds have the goods on the carte and they'll be going down soon and that might include Lord Ashton and the others..."

She frowned at him.

"What about you?"

He shrugged.

"I think what they'll find will keep them busy…and they'll forget me for a while."

She looked puzzled.

"What?"

He slipped an envelope that he'd brought from the car.

"I found this in the closet Alexis…take a look…"

She grabbed it and opened it. She blinked and put a hand over her mouth, staring at two photos.

"Oh my god…it's Lord Ashton with Jerry Jacks…but why? His own son was threatened by him through his granddaughter…"

"I don't know. I don't know who ordered it since Jerry's an independent contractor."

She sat there processing it, feeling suddenly ice cold.

He nodded.

"The recon we did was successful. I owe the man I hired a large check but he's locked up in Penton Ville right now."

She rubbed the bridge of her noise.

"You mean the man who took the rap for A.J. Quartermaine's murder," she said, "You don't know everything there's to know about Lord Ashton…or Jerry."

"I know enough. I've known Jerry for years like I told you," he said, "I sent my man…Carlos to do more homework on all the players before we even got to PC. The boss made us do it but he downplayed Lord Ashton's role."

She remained confused.

"So you don't know what he's up to then do you…"

He sighed, finishing his burger.

"Someone you might know…who's set to meet with us might shed some more light on that."

She finished off her french-fries.

"I guess I had been pretty busy too much so to pay any attention," she said, "It happened so fast, my decision to accept Lord…I mean Ned's proposal."

Julian sipped his drink.

"But to marry him…that doesn't sound like you."

Irritation filled her at his certainty that he knew everything about her.

"Maybe you don't know everything about me. Two marriages, two divorces."

"I know enough to know that you likely wouldn't get married to a man you already left at the altar once"

Alexis sipped her shake.

"No, perhaps not usually…but it's been 20 years since that happened and things changed, feelings soften and when he came back to town, our relationship kind of fell into place."

"Why did you do it..?"

Alexis remained quiet for a moment.

"He swept me off my feet, no not the way you think. He said a lot of things and I guess I believed him," she said, "I wanted to believe him."

Julian wanted to tell her it wasn't her fault but knew she had to figure that out herself. Besides he had to figure out what to do next.

"We'd better head to some place safe," Julian said, "before it gets dark."

"Do you think they're still out there driving around?"

They got up after paying their tab and headed to the car out in the lot.

"They're probably back at the estate coming up with a plan to look for us," Julian said.

"Okay…then I guess we'd better get going," she said, as they both got in the Porsche and headed to the house.

* * *

><p>Julian parked his car in back of the house which had the ocean a hundred yards from its back door. The house itself was nicely furnished inside with a couple of bedrooms and a spacious kitchen, not to mention a back deck.<p>

Alexis collapsed on the couch while Julian looked around the house.

"This place is nice," she said, "Where's your friends or should I ask?"

He smiled, sitting down in one of the chairs.

"They're out of the country," he said, "They won't be back for a few months. I called them and asked them if I could stay for a little while."

Her brow arched.

"Before or after that stunt you pulled at the estate?"

"Before…I thought you might want a place to think for a while."

She glanced at him, surprised.

"Why would I need that…I don't need to sit around figuring out what I did wrong," she said, "I just need to move on."

"You can do that with Ned?"

Alexis looked at him and nodded.

"I can. It's the only thing that makes sense right now with all the facts in consideration…now I'm not sure what'll happen."

She didn't look like she was kidding.

Julian watched as she got up and walked into the kitchen to look in the refrigerator.

"They left some beers," she said, "Want one?"

Julian nodded and she brought back two, tossing him one.

"They've got some clothes if you need any," he said, "in one of the bedrooms."

She sat on the couch opposite from the chair he occupied.

"How long are we saying here?"

Julian leaned back in his chair with his beer.

"How long do you want to stay," he said, "We can't go back to PC while people are out looking and we'll have to lie low for a while."

She sighed.

"Okay well I guess that will work…until I figure out what to do next."

Julian reached for his cell phone.

"We're going to have to call Sam and Nikolas and tell them both to lie low in case they go after them to find us."

Alexis hoped that it wouldn't come to that but she knew those two of her family members could take care of themselves especially with advance notice. Molly had been spending the past month on a cruise ship with Carson's family.

They finished their calls and he looked up to see Alexis looking at him.

"At least that's taken care of," she said, "Now we can figure out what to do here."

And so they sat down together to do just that.


	6. Chapter 6

Alexis sat on the beach and read a novel. She rarely had any spare time for pleasure reading so sitting down with a mystery novel in such a lovely setting was something she really enjoyed. At first it felt perplexing because she was so used to leaving books unfinished all over her house when her attention was needed elsewhere. But soon enough she settled into it. The welcoming heat of the sun, and the soft breeze from the ocean lured her into enjoying her reading.

She'd been doing some thinking about what had happened so far since they'd been holed up at the beach house.

Julian had been inside the house using the computer there to find out more information on Lord Ashton's so-called business that he used as a front for his real profession which hopefully would tie all the players together. She watched him work and thought in a different life…maybe he'd be a cop or a federal agent. Something else besides a ruthless mobster.

When she brought it up, he'd chuckled.

"I was something much more dangerous," he said, "An investigative reporter when I was Derek Wells, a normal man in a normal profession."

She looked over his shoulder.

"I rather liked him. He swooped him and saved a little boy's life and he was charming and very sexy…"

"Alexis…"

She patted him on the shoulder.

"No…Julian. It was your choice to lead a double life. You made your choices. I made mine."

"Derek was me…parts of me anyway. I rather enjoyed being him most of the time. I'm still the same man…and really what were you hoping to find with Ned? I mean I saw the front page photo of you fleeing your last wedding with him."

She walked away from him.

"That was then…at least with him I don't have to return home to find my house in flames," she said, "I don't have to worry that someone's going to take out my family"

She didn't need to finish. He got the message. He didn't hold it against her like he would with most. Her fierce protectiveness of her family including children was a huge part of what had attracted him. But still she caught the flash of hurt in his eyes. Then his eyes hardened.

"Ned might just be a prepster in an empty suit,' he said, "but his father is a different matter. He's worked with some very dangerous men."

When she'd arched her brow at him, he'd just returned to his computer.

They had been there since two days ago mostly lying low which meant sticking around the house or on the beach in case anybody came looking for them. They'd headed into town for food shopping and to pick up some clothes. Julian had produced some cash. Alexis didn't ask questions.

Alexis had hit the beach, mostly lying in the sand in a suit she had bought at a store along with some other clothes or swimming in the ocean which had been refreshing after sitting in the sun. Sometimes Julian would come down and join her and he looked as great as he always did, keeping himself in fighting shape marred only where the bullet had grazed his skin during their getaway.

He'd never been shy about showing off his body. She'd never been shy about looking at it.

She didn't think much about her fiancé who no doubt was out there looking for her rather than awaiting any ransom note which Ned surely knew wasn't coming.. They kept careful watch where they stayed but deemed it unlikely that anyone would find them right away. Julian had worked hard to leave a false trail of them heading to NYC and had friends helping him do that up there.

In the meantime, they relaxed a little, they ate great food that they cooked up including on the barbecue. They talked but mostly about their plan of action and any information either had uncovered, ideas they had…strictly business.

Very little that was personal. Alexis had made that clear up front and when she'd said goodnight to him the first day.

"I'm sticking to business with you," she said, "Everything else is off limits understand?"

Julian paused putting down his beer that he'd been drinking.

"I can't promise that Alexis but I will give you some space…for now."

She just rolled her eyes, thinking his alpha male tricks wouldn't work on her and went to serve herself some of that decadent dark chocolate cake that had looked so inviting in the bakery window.

Studies said most women preferred chocolate to sex. Alexis wouldn't go _that_ far but she enjoyed a good dose of it. So she had brought herself a big piece of it on a plate, enjoying it on the sofa.

Each succulent bite, washed down by some wine. He glanced at her seeing a smile on her face.

"What you thinking about?"

She ate another bite of cake.

"My ex-husband…Jax and how much I miss him."

Julian had heard about Jax mostly from Carly who'd been with him. Not much about his marriage to Alexis except it hadn't lasted long.

"You still friendly with him?"

"Best friends. He'd have warned me about you."

His mouth quirked.

"Would you have listened?"

She snorted.

"Probably not…"

She got up and headed back to the kitchen and he watched her go in jeans and a long sleeve large sweater she'd nabbed from a closet.

"He liked Ned…after the period when he didn't like him," she said, "but Jax and I have always been close. He helped save my life a couple years ago…during the water toxin crisis."

He'd heard about and read about it in his newspapers' archives. She had been Jerry's hostage and had been willing to give up her freedom and most likely her life to save others. But she didn't mention part of that episode.

"I met up with Jax when I was trying to acquiring one of his companies for my media conglomerate …"

"You mean back when you were Derek Wells?"

That came out a bit harsher than she intended but it didn't faze him.

"Yeah some years back…he was difficult to sway him to take my offer," Julian said, "He's a tough negotiator and then his brother wanted some of that money to go to charity to fight malaria in India."

Alexis arched her brows in surprise. Julian's mouth curved into the hint of a smile.

"Even a villain can do something good once in a while," he said, "Just ask me."

The conversation had ended after that and she'd decided to head down to the beach and try to relax for a while, anything to get out of the house.

She did read several chapters until she glanced up and saw him heading towards him. Obviously done with whatever had caught his attention on the computer earlier.

She put the book down when he walked towards her wearing that damn swimsuit that didn't leave much to the imagination and carrying a towel. He sat down in the sand next to her close to the surf.

"So you hear from your friend?"

He looked out into the surf at the sailboats in the distance.

"Not yet…but he's very busy and rather eclectic."

She sipped from a water bottle.

"Hopefully he can help us…so we can go back to our lives."

"Might take a while. Ned's obviously mixed up in something big that may or may not involve his father and Ashton's partners."

"Your friend can't tell us?"

"He's not sure."

"You don't seem like the guy who'd attracted many friends like that. Confidence isn't one of your problems as we've seen with the ladies so I'm a bit surprised that your friends seem more reticent."

Julian chuckled at that and she rewarded him with an almost smile in return. She really had a beautiful one but then she had always been a lovely woman. She sat opposite him on the beach towel right now, wearing a really nice red swimsuit with a sheer wrap over it.

"I don't think you need to go that far."

She sighed at him, shaking her head.

"No I think it's a good thing that you're casual about your affairs," she said, "I envy that."

He frowned.

"What do you mean? You think that was what I was thinking when we were together?"

She shrugged.

"What does it matter? You chose La Vida Loca over a life with me," she said, "You put your family in danger for the adrenalin rush of being in the mob. Just like Shawn, and just like Sonny."

Ouch that looked like it hurt. He did flinch but tried to mask it.

"I've really got to be a lot more careful about whom I enter into relationships with," she said, "Whether it's long-term commitment or a more passing thing…though I'm done with the former."

"Alexis it's not your fault that men like Sonny or Shawn make the decisions that they make and you shouldn't be too hard on yourself that you didn't see through them earlier. You're no longer with either one of them."

"I'm not with you either Julian. So maybe there's really no difference…"

He sighed.

"You ran away from me to a man you didn't marry 20 years ago," he said, "Why did you decide to repeat the mistake you avoided last time?"

She sighed, looking out at the ocean.

"You interrupted it…this mistake as you call it…I'm not sure what I would have done. I might have gone through with it this time."

"I'm sure you would have figured it out," Julian said, "You're a smart woman."

She just gave him that look.

"I'm including you with the rest of my bad choices. A part of me wish those guys shot you."

"Really…you wound me Alexis."

She just tilted her face.

"Don't….start…"

"Okay…but I didn't get shot, they did miss and we're together on a nice beach on a warm day relaxing…"

She reached for her water again.

"While Ned and his family are probably looking for us. Or waiting for you to call in a ransom. Have you decided on a number yet?"

He just looked at her intently.

"I haven't decided how much you're worth. It'd have to be a pretty high price to give you up."

She didn't know how to respond to that.

"I'll let them wait a while longer."

She ran her fingers through the warm sand while he moved closer to her. Not much but just enough.

"Maybe a lot longer."

He stroked a tendril of hair out of her face which he loved to do, she noticed. She knew he wanted a response from her…to get her off balance the way he liked. But she didn't let on she even noticed, though her skin tingled, her blood warmed.

Damn him and damn her if she let him play her again.

"Julian…"

His gaze focused on her.

"What…"

She paused picking her words carefully.

"How do you do it?"

"Do what," he asked back.

"Have these relationships with women…these dalliances of yours and then walk away? How do you value them so little when you embrace a violent lifestyle more?"

Julian shifted his position on the towel.

"It's not quite like that…the relationships run their course, some more quickly than others in the past."

"I know that…but isn't it ever difficult even with the shorter ones?"

Julian considered her question and he saw the expression on her face that it had been weighing on her mind for some time. He knew she'd been hurt with his flirtations with Carly despite his insistence they meant nothing. He knew when he and Alexis broke up, she'd sworn to herself she'd walk away and not look back.

"Well sometimes both parties are willing to just enjoy the moment, whether it's meeting someone on a business trip, or an airport layover or at a nightclub."

"Oh so two ships that passed in the night…"

He grimaced.

"More like collided in one case. They were brief and then they were over But that has nothing to do with us and what we shared.."

"Hey I'm not judging you. I just wish I was as good at doing that as you have been," she said, "I mean every new man just gravitates to Carly first. It's an unwritten rule in PC so why would you be different? And I should better by now that when I hook up with a dangerous man, he's always going to choose that lifestyle over me."

He narrowed his eyes.

"Unwritten rule?"

"Oh yeah…didn't you read the manual when you got here?"

"No…I don't follow manuals," he said, "I made my own choices for my own reasons."

She nodded.

"Oh I get that…both were women who were very close to your enemy, Sonny. So you used them to get to him."

"Not exactly…"

"Whatever…anyway. I'm just saying sometimes I wish I could be casual like that."

He just looked at her, his eyes not blinking.

"Is that what you really want?"

She shrugged.

"I guess I wanted more than that once," she admitted, "but once again I fell short. Maybe it's time for a change and I should try taking things less seriously with men."

"You think that's going to make you happy?"

She smiled at him, spreading herself out on her towel to face him.

"I'm thinking more along the lines of whether it will be more fun."

He caught the sparkle in her eye and suppressed his smile,

"Okay…well we're a little bit busy now so socializing with others might have to take a back seat for now."

She nodded.

"True…but I've wondered…what it gives me something to think about when I return to PC, how to live that part of my life."

His breath caught in his throat especially when he read her face after she dropped that line of reasoning on him.

"Excuse me?"

She smiled, pulling her hair back off of her face.

"I'm a busy woman anyway, and I think I'm just done with relationships. But it still doesn't mean I don't want to have some fun. Diane, you know her, she's been trying to get me to do that for years. Get out and mingle…hook up with some good looking single man. Just have a good time and not get too emotional about it."

His skin felt warm when she put it that way. She had meant it after all.

"Alexis are you saying what I think you're saying?"

She nodded.

.

"When I get to PC it's going to be the beginning of the rest of my life…"

"So that's your plan?"

She nodded and got on her feet, while he admired the view. She flipped her hair back off her face.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to cool off…"

He watched her as she walked out into the ocean as the waves broke on shore. Damn she'd amazed him once again but he'd seen the weariness on her face too and knew he'd put some of it there.


	7. Chapter 7

Julian and Alexis left the beach house to head into the small village to get some more groceries after they ate some lunch at a small diner. But when they headed inside the establishment, they saw the local newspaper as well as a publication circulated back in all of New York.

And on the front page, they saw their photographs prominently placed. Alexis figured that the photo they printed of her had been taken at a recent charity gala before Carly and Olivia had their latest round smashing crystal over Sonny. A smaller photo was their publicity shot from the Nurse's Ball. She standing there in her beautiful blue dress that had turned to ashes when her house went kaboom and Julian in his tux looking at her, a huge smile on his face.

"Look at the headlines," she said, "They read that you kidnapped me at gunpoint from my wedding to a prominent businessman and you're still at large."

Julian looked at the paper incredulous then bought a copy to read inside the restaurant.

"Wait a minute, should we even go in there," Alexis asked, "Now that we're front page news?"

Julian thought about it.

"I think we'll be okay," he said, "It should be obvious when someone sees us together that I didn't kidnap you."

She smiled at him.

"True…I'm hungry anyway…"

They walked inside and sat in a corner booth, picking up menus and looking over the delicious entrees. The waitress came over to take their order and clearly didn't know about their starring role in the daily news. They kept it simple, ordering the special burger combo with curly fries so that they wouldn't stand out as being unusual. Julian looked over at Alexis who sat there sipping her cola in her knit sweater top over a pair of sweats that accentuated her supple legs. Her skin had tanned from the past days spent on the beach and she looked relaxed, considering the circumstances.

But what would she think if she knew about these dreams that he had been having about her, about them? Dreams that crept into his sleep the last several nights leaving him awake and looking into the darkness of his room. Dreams he shouldn't be having because they were broken up after all.

"Julian, are you feeling okay?"

He glanced up at her and she gave him a funny look. She had worn her hair in soft curls today, off of her face. He knew her hair to be soft to the touch and in his dreams…he sighed picking up his drink and taking a large sip.

"I'm just fine Alexis," he said, "Just doing some thinking."

She nodded.

"Oh yeah about us being on the front page of the newspaper," Alexis said, "Do you think the police are out looking for us too?"

Julian rubbed his jaw.

"Well Spinelli said the PCPD was staking out the office building and my home but nothing's turned up yet. That and the usual dark sedans parked halfway down the block with company men sitting inside them."

Alexis stroked the rim of her glass.

"That's how the Qs can works," she said, "Ned though I thought he separated himself from this…it must be his father."

Julian nodded.

"My thinking too. I think this Lord Ashton is pulling the strings at ELQ along with a silent partner."

Their food came and they dove into it hungrily enough to eat in companionable silence for a moment. Alexis thought that it must be those sea breezes that wafted onshore that must be responsible for her feeling both energetic and hungrier than she had been in the past few months. She thought she'd be stressed out after having literally run away from her fiancé but she felt just the opposite. That spoke volumes about her relationship with Ned and not in a positive sense.

She looked over at Julian and thought he looked his usually good looking self in his top with the first button undone and slacks. The man had clearly worked out and kept himself fit most of his life. His sleeves were rolled up halfway up his arms and she loved how strong they looked. But then she'd always liked looking at him, what woman wouldn't? She had explored every inch of that body with no regrets.

She kept telling herself to take her feelings about him no further than that. Appreciating a man's good looks even a mobster was just being female…but anything else she backed away from and stayed back.

She wondered how he viewed her. Not that it mattered if he'd just been using his charms and flirtations on her to achieve a means to the ends. She didn't mind him doing it to get closer to Sam and Danny as a father and grandfather trying to learn more about them. But if he'd been using her to get at Sonny…of course that's what he'd been doing. She reminded herself never to forget that. Else she'd look as foolish as she felt when it had all come crashing down.

Just as well he didn't know about what she had been dreaming about lately when she had been sleeping in the bedroom down the hallway from the one he used. She had woken up in a sweat the other night after she and he…well they had been reenacting a certain surfside scene from a famous movie and it had felt so real she felt the chill of the ocean water as it cascaded over them and the sand it carried with it, but mostly the sensation of his body and his arms wrapped around hers. All they needed was a stirring soundtrack in the background.

She had to get up and go to the kitchen to get a glass of water to cool down.

Why did she have these dreams when she had just been engaged to the man she almost walked down the aisle with just days ago? She knew she shouldn't be dreaming about him…not after he'd played her too well.

"Julian…"

He looked up at her from his fries.

"What is it?"

She hesitated before saying anything wondering how she would even broach the subject.

"How've you been sleeping?"

He shot her an inquisitive look.

"Fine…must be the sound of the ocean at night but I've never slept better."

She sighed, at his answer because she had been tossing and turning unable to get back to sleep after some of these very vivid and emotionally charged dreams.

"That's good…I've been sleeping…fine too…"

He gazed at her when she picked up her hamburger to finish eating it, knowing she clearly had something on her mind.

"What's going on?"

She looked at him sideways.

"Oh nothing…just this whole kidnapping thing…nothing could be further from the truth. I didn't think it'd attract so much attention."

Julian looked a bit puzzled at that.

"I kidnapped you at gunpoint as far as they're concerned though I wonder if Ned's gone to the police."

She sighed.

"Dante was at the wedding. Maybe he's handling it back in PC."

"I didn't want him to know you were involved in it Alexis. It's better this way."

She picked up a french-fry and ate it thoughtfully.

"Maybe that wasn't a good idea because then he looks clean and you look like the criminal to go after."

"I just wanted to get you out of there," Julian said, "Something's not right in the Q mansion and I don't want you caught up in that.."

She grew silent for a moment.

"You know I don't really miss him like I should," she said, "What does that say about me and my commitments?"

"Maybe on some level, you wanted out."

She turned to look at him sharply.

"What makes you say such a thing," she said, "I thought I wanted to marry him but I guess I only thought that I did."

The waitress returned with their ticket and smiled at them.

"Nice weather we're having today," she said, "Are you like tourists because I haven't seen you around here before…"

Julian and Alexis looked at each other.

"No…"

"Yes…"

Alexis rolled her eyes.

"He thinks he's been here all of his life, we're having such a great time," she said.

The waitress looked at them a bit uncertainly. Alexis wondered if she would be on the phone calling the police or the media to tell them that the bride-napper was currently sitting in the local diner with his victim.

"Yeah…it just feels so much like home," Julian said, "We're thinking of buying one of those bungalows on the coast."

The waitress nodded.

"Oh yes, I have one myself," she said, "They're very nice, great view of the ocean too."

Julian slipped his hands in Alexis' and she tried not to react.

"We…my sweetheart and I…we're kind of on a second honeymoon."

The waitress furrowed her brow.

"I didn't peg you for being married because you don't have rings."

Alexis just shot a look at Julian and shrugged.

"That's because he's too cheap to buy me one," she said, "I'm working on him and he's on a timeline."

Julian looked sheepish.

"She's got me there," he said, "It's just that I couldn't decide which one I wanted to buy."

"He's indecisive like that," Alexis chimed in.

The waitress nodded.

"I see…I think…well come on back now," she said, "We've got some prime lobster coming in from Maine next week."

Julian and Alexis got up and headed out of the restaurant.

"We'd better get going because I doubt she bought our story," Alexis said.

They reached the car so they could head to the market which was pretty modest in size but the shelves were well stocked and it didn't take long for the two of them to pack a cart. Julian selected some nice steaks and Alexis went to check out the produce section to get some vegetables. Overheard, there was a television set where a blond woman sat behind a desk delivering the news. Alexis looked up closer and saw a familiar sight.

"Oh my god…"

They flashed that fairly old photo of her again and one of Julian from what looked like back when he won some award at a black tie event as Derek Wells. Their pictures were side by side in the background while the woman breathlessly reported on how Alexis had been kidnapped by a former lover.

"A what…."

She just couldn't believe it. The media didn't know enough of the truth so they filled in the considerable blanks with reports of how she and Julian had this torrid love affair that had ruptured the engagement that she had with Ned who was being depicted as a successful businessman who shined in the area of ethics.

Some brunette woman looked straight into the camera after being identified as a "close friend" of Alexis and regaled the news anchor with tales of Alexis's exploits with men back in college.

"She wasn't I would say…loose or anything liked that…but the girl loved a good time…"

Alexis frowned, who was this woman again? She looked vaguely familiar but for being one of her "good friends", Alexis just couldn't place her. Then she saw Ned's face, his eyes serious and his tone hushed.

"It was the most terrifying experience of my life…watching my fiancée being abducted by that man who waved a gun at her and threatened to kill everyone…"

She just sighed as she watched, because that in no way had been what had actually happened. After all, a hit man who blew away people for a living was talking about how terrified he had been? He certainly was playing the victimized groom to the hilt.

"I am begging…no I am beseeching the kidnapper not to hurt her to get at me," Ned said, "Please let her go unharmed…just tell me what you want in return."

Alexis wondered what Julian would think if he were watching but no doubt he was in the meat section checking out loins and prime cuts blissfully unaware that he had been painted as a hardened kidnapper.

She turned away from the television hoping no one else had seen it and headed to find Julian so they could make an escape before anyone could identify them.


End file.
